and today the sleepy town of lerwick is facing an invasion from a long dormant foe. men shout the vikings. cheering and shouting so this is up helly aa. it s one of a number of viking festivals that take place in shetland every year. this one in lerwick is the biggest. up helly aa is best known for its night time procession. almost 1,000 people carry flaming torches through the streets, then set fire to a replica viking ship. the day begins with a march through the town led by the jarl squad, a group of around 60 locals kitted out in elaborate viking garb. i mean, this is serious stuff. this is. yeah, yeah. so who makes these? almost all of it was done in shetland. there was a design committee in the squad. what kind of money are we talking for an individual kit? between £2,000 and £3,000. wow. so you need to be really serious about this. this is something you really commit to. yeah. the viking heritage - of shetland is something that most shetlandersl are incredibly proud
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Shetland's Up Helly Aa fire festivals – which see Viking longships set ablaze – are just one manifestation of the strong Nordic influence on the remote archipelago.
Stranded on Shetland gives time to breathe after jam packed Up Helly Aa scotsman.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scotsman.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.